Bale-box.



J. N. Woon.

BALB Box.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 16I 1909. I 97I,948 Y Patented 0cm, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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J. N. WOOD.

BALE BOX.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 16, 1909.

Patented 0011.4, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2` ne: Nonms Fermes co., wAsnnya-mn. n c.

J. N.WO0D.

BALE BOX.

APPLICATION FILED sEPT.1e,-19o9.

971,948. Patented 00m, 1910.

- 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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[NI/ENTOR @NEE here.

JAMES N. WOOD, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO TI-IE NEELY COMPRESS.AND COTTON COMPANY, INC., OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

BALEeBOX.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES N. VooD, citizen of the United States,residing at Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bale-Boxes; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to malte and use the same.

My invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described,reference being had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate oneform in which I have contemplated embodying my invention and saidinvention is fully disclosed in the following description and claims.

Referring to the said drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a balebox embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same. Fig.3 is a side elevation, similar to Fig. 1, but showing the opposite sideof the box. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the box. Fig. 5 is alongitudinal sectional view of the box showing the bottom raised by theplunger of the press. Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view of the boxwith the bottom in its lowest position.

The object of my invention is to provide a knock down bale box for usein connection with baling presses in which the bale is formed within thebox and removed with the box from the press, for the purpose of wrappingthe bale and applying the bale band and said box is specially adaptedfor use with the type of baling press shown and described in my formerapplications for Letters Patent, Serial No. 479,380, tiled Feb. 23, 1909and Serial No. 487,229, filed April 1, 1909, although it may be usedwith other forms of baling press.

As illustrated in the drawings, my improved bale box comprises an openbottom frame 1 of rectangular shape and preferably formed of metal, towhich are hinged in any suitable manner two sides 2, 2 and two ends 3,8. In the exemplification of my invention which I have selected forillustration, the sides and ends are formed of heavy wooden pieces andconnected and reinforced in any suitable way. The sides and ends may,however, be made of metal or other suitable material. As shown the sides2, 2 are each provided with a bar 4 near the bot- Speecation of LettersPatent.

Application filed September 16, 1909.

Patented Oct. 4, 1910.

Serial No. 518,058.

tom, the ends of which extend downward and are provided with trunnions 5engaging bearings 6 on the bottom frame 1, forming hinge connectionswith the bottom frame. The lower edges of the sides 2, 2 are slightlyhigher than the bottom frame, leaving a horizontal slit 7 through whichthe ends of the burlap cover for the bale may project. Each side 2 isprovided adjacent to the top with a horizontal reinforcing bar S and Iprefer to employ a similar bar 9 between the upper and lower edges.

The ends 3, 3 are provided near their lower edges each with areinforcing bar 11 from which depend the hinge members 12, pivotallyconnected to brackets 13, 13 secured to the bottom frame and said endsare also preferably provided with the top and median reinforcing bars 8aand 9a. In order to securely lock the sides and ends together when inraised position, I provide one of the sides 2 with a pair of lockingarms pivotally secured thereto and extending across the box outside ofthe ends 3, 3 and having hook shaped portions projecting beyond theother side 2 of the box, when the box is in closed position. Forconvenience in operation, I prefer to have the two locking armsconnected together for joint or simultaneous operation and to this endthe two arms 10, 10 are rigidly connected to and extend perpendicnlarlyfrom a shaft 10n mounted in bearings 101 secured to the side 2 asclearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The arms 10, 10 may be made separatefrom and pinned or otherwise secured to the shaft 10a, as here shown, orthe arms and shaft may be an integral forging if preferred. Each of thelocking arms 10 is provided at its free end with a hook portion 14 andadjacent to its free end is a handle 15 by means of which the lockingarms can be conveniently raised and lowered by hand. The other side 2 isprovided with a rock shaft 16 mounted in bearings 16h and carrying atits opposite ends locking cams er eccentrics 1G, 16 so located as toengage the hook portions 14, 14 of the locking arms 10, 10. The rockshaft 1G'LL is also provided with an operating arm 17 by which it may berocked.

The construction of the parts just described is such that when the boxis closed by raising the sides and ends into vertical position, asillustrated in the drawings, the operating arm 17 will be raised so asto bring the ecc-entries 16 into their upper positions and the lockingarms will be swung over until the hook portions thereof engage theeccentrics 16, which they will readily do. The operating arm 1l is thendepressed, as shown in Fig. 2, thus rocking the shaft 1(3L and movingIthe eccentrics 1G into a .substantially horizontal position within thehook portions 11 of the locking arm and straining the. side portions 2,2 firmly against the end portions 3, 3. After the bale has been formedwithin the bale box and it is desired to open the box to discharge thebale therefrom, the arln 1T is raised, thus relieving the hooks 1-1 ofthe locking arms 10, and permit-ting `the locking arms to be readilyswung upwardly out of engagement with the eccentrics and over to theother side of the side Q to which they are connected, thus releasingboth the sides and ends and permitting them to swing downward intohorizontal position to permit the removal of the bale.

18 represents the bottom of the bale box which is formed of wood ormetal, as preferred, and preferably rests upon the bottom frame 1. Thebottom frame is preferably formed of angle pieces, the horizontalmembers of which extend inwardly, as indicated at 1a and form thesupport for the bottom 18. T he bottom 18 is preferably movablevertically within the walls .2, Q, and 3, 3 and is provided on its upperface with a plurality of transverse grooves 18a to facilitate theinsertion of the bale bands, in a well known way. The bottom frame isalso provided with rollers 19, 19 which project below the bottom frameand serve to support the box, thereby permitting it to be readilyrmovedacross the baling floor and into and out of the press. The rollers 19are preferably grooved, as shown, to engage track portions of the balingframe, when used with the type of press illustrated in my applicationsbefore referred to.

I also provide means for positively retaining the bale within the balebox after it has been formed under great pressure in the baling press,in order to prevent any material expansion of the bale until it can beremoved from the press and secured by the usual bale bands. To this endI provide a plurality of chains 2O or other flexible connections, whichare preferably permanently secured to one of the sides 2 and are adaptedto be drawn over the top of the bale and secured to the opposite side 2of the bale box. In this instance, I have shown three chains 20, each ofwhich has one end secured as indicated at 21, to one of the sides 2. Theopposite side 2 is provided with a winding shaft 22 mounted in bearings23 and provided with projections or hooks 24 in line with the chains 2Oand adapted to engage the same. The shaft 22 is also provided with aratchet wheel and locking pawl 26 in order to secure the shaft in anyposition to which it may be turned. The shaft 22 is also provided withmeans for rotating the same, such as a crank and for convenience Iprefer to provide the shaft with a polygonal portion 2T to receive adetachable crank or operating arm, when it is desired to rotate theshaft. After the bale has been formed, the chains 20 are passed over thetop of the bale and the free ends secured to the hooks 24 and the sha ft2Q is then rotated to wind up the slack portions of the chains so as todraw the horizontal portions thereof above the bale tightly down uponthe bale, while it is in a compressed condition and hold it againstexpansion while the bale box is removed from the press and until thebale bands, or some other confining means, have been applied to thebale.

Then the bale box is in the press the bot.- tom 18 is adapt-ed to beengaged by the plunger of the hydraulic pressure device indicated at 30.The bottom of the box is raised within the box before the commencementof the baling operation, by the said plunger, as shown in Fig. 5 andwhen near the top engages short studs 81, 81 on the sides 2 of the boxso that further upward movement of the plunger will raise the box bodilywith the bottom into operative relation with the baling devices, as setforth in my former applications.

It will be noted that the two shafts or bars 10a and 16Zt with thelateral locking arms 10 form a rectangular locking frame whichcompletely incloses and surrounds the box when the latter is in closedposition.

That I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patentis 1. The combinationwith a bale box provided with hinged walls, of a shaft secured to one ofthe side walls, and provided at each end with perpendicular locking armsconnected with said shaft, and adapted to engage the exterior of theadjacent end walls, the other side wall being provided with a shaftextending longitudinally thereof and provided with means adjacent toeach end for detachably engaging said locking arms, whereby said shaftsand locking arms form a rectangular frame entirely surrounding the boxwhen the latter is in closed position.

2. The combination with a bale box provided with hinged walls, of alongitudinally disposed bar secured to one of the side walls, alongitudinally disposed bar secured to the opposite side wall, one ofsaid bars being provided with perpendicular locking arms rigidly securedthereto for joint movement and having their free ends constructed toengage the other of said longitudinal bars, said bars and locking armsforming a. rectangular frame entirely surrounding the box, when thelatter is in closed position.

3. The combination with a bale box provided with oppositely disposedhinged ialls,

tc/relie a shaft rotatably secured to one of said' walls, a pair oflocking arms connected with said shaft and provided with hook portionsat their opposite ends, a rock shaft secured to the opposite Wall,eccentric devices on said rock shaft in position to engage said hookportions, and an operating device for said rock shaft.

t. The combination With a bale box having hinged side and end Walls, ofa pair of locking arms, pivotally secured to one of the side Walls, andconnected together for joint movement, said arms being located outsideof the end Walls when the box is in closed position and being providedat their outer ends with hook portions, of a rock shaft secured to theopposite side Wall, eccentric devices on said rock shaft in position tobe engaged by said hook portions, and means for rotating said rock shaftand eccentric devices.

5. rlhe combination with a bale box, of flexible bale retaining devices,means for securing the same to the bale box at one side of the same, andmeans for adjustably securing said flexible retaining devices, to theopposite side of the box.

6. The combination With a bale box, of flexible bale retaining devices,means for securing said devices to one side of the box, windingmechanism secured to the opposit-e side of the box, and means forconnecting said retaining devices to the winding mechanism.

T. The combination with a bale box, of iiexible bale retaining devices,secured to the box at one side, a winding shaft secured to the oppositeside of said box, a ratchet and pawl mechanism for said shaft, anddevices on said shaft for detachably engaging said flexible baleretaining devices.

In testimony whereof I aflix inysignature, in the presence of twoWitnesses.

JAMES N. WOOD.

Witnesses SUSIE VooD, LILLIAN WAY'r.

